Missing
by Phantomhive Child
Summary: All Ciel ever wanted was to live happily with his boyfriend to live quiet life. Ciel hasn't had it easy, his parents go missing, and then there's all these attacks on him by a group of students. Ciel just put it behind him. What happens when he goes missing, kidnapped? What horrors will those behind it force upon him. AU, Characters will be mostly OOC. Chapter warning included
1. Chapter 1

**General Story information.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji or any of the characters.**

**Also the cannons are intentionally going to be OOC.**

**Set AU**

**Would also like to point out that there will be a lot of violence and foul language from the start.**

**Also some content of a sexual nature. **

**Some sensitive topics touched too. **

**Any characters that are presumed dead in the anime/manga, or are dead in the anime/manga are not for the purpose of this fic. Unless I decide that they are.**

**Read at your own risk. It's rated M for a reason.**

**Though if you do decide to read, please enjoy.**

**Note: it will take a few chapters for the story to get going, so I apologise if, for now, the story doesn't seem to fit the title I have given it.**

* * *

Chapter 1

"Stop running you little fucking prick." The voices called, chasing the panicking boy as he ran from the group. He ran. Ciel ran, as fast, and as far as he could possibly run.

The moon was set high in the sky, as the sound of running steps came ever closer to the boy, but Ciel kept running, he had to get away. He didn't want them to catch him, he couldn't let them catch him.

The sound of his breath was harsh against the cold bitter, winters scenery, the snow crunching underfoot as he took a sharp turning into a local park. He didn't know how much longer he could keep running, his chest was getting awfully tight, and breathing was becoming more of an issue, but Ciel ran through the park and into an alleyway on the opposite side.

_I lost them_ the boy thought, hoping that he had lost them. Or that they had given up the chase. Either way he hoped that the bastards were no longer behind him.

He crouched to the ground hugging his knees to his chest, trying to steady himself as he became weaker and more breathless. He tried to right his breathing. Not that the boys panic-ridden state was much help to that. He hyperventilated slightly, trying with all his might to calm. But he soon found himself having to run again.

"He went this way boys!" a loud voice shouted as Ciel struggled to his feet, he needed to keep running. More footsteps could be heard coming towards the boy as they trampled on the freshly fallen snow.

Ciel was going to collapse, if the boys didn't catch up with him any time soon, he could feel it, each and every breath causing a sharp stabbing sensation in his chest as his lungs failed to fill to their optimum capacity.

_Fuck_ Ciel thought to himself, _I can't go on anymore._ He slipped into another side alley and hid between a couples of bins. Crouching down again, and curling up into a ball hoping for the boys to just run right past him. His breathing paining him more. _Why can't they just leave me alone?_

"Where did the little shit go?!" one boy screamed as the group reached a small clearing, the one downside to that clearing, there were three paths Ciel could have taken.

"Crap" Another hissed. "We'll have to split up in order to find him"

"Well what are you standing around for?" The ringleader snapped. Several of the other lads made move to go and search down the alleys.

"Why don't we just wait?" The shyest member of the group spoke up. "He's asthmatic, and the weathers cold. If we listen carefully we could hear the wheezing that is his breathing, if he's having trouble breathing that is. If not then we wait for any movements in the snow. After all if he can hear our footsteps then we can certainly hear his."

"Who asked for your opinion" The one who was the loudest member of the group snarled, looking to the boy ready to backhand him.

"Wait" the ring leader said, stopping the other. "He has a point." The other looked at the boy.

"Fine" He somewhat sighed melodramatically, not really happy with having to wait around, the fact that it was snowing made this more tiring. "The boy can't wait forever." He hoped at least that they would have the boy before any of the group contracted hypothermia.

Ciel, upon hearing the conversation that the boys were having, clamped a hand over his mouth, trying his hardest to not make a sound, and to keep his breathing under control. It managed to work, for a while, but his body began to become numb from the cold. It was no good, he had to move again. He shifted, standing quick, though not as quick as he would have liked due to the numbness that seemed to be creeping up in him quickly, as soon as he stood up he ran again, his footsteps alerting the group after him.

"Catch the bastard" the ringleader screeched as he saw Ciel run off down the alleyway, several of the group run after him, not long after that, Ciel collapsed, breathing erratic and body completely numb, he couldn't keep running, not any more, he was exhausted.

Naturally the group took advantage of that, running to the boy and pinning him down in the snow. The ring leader walked up to Ciel, a knife in one hand, a bottle of water in the other. Whilst two others stood beside him, one with ropes, another with a whip.

"Let's see what this whelp is made of" the ringleader said, motioning for those pinning Ciel to stand him up. The boy managed a baneful glare at him only to be backhanded roughly. A small whimper-like-hiss leaving his lips as the contact of the hand against his cheek left his skin red and stung from the winter air. "Now. Just how strong are you." He chuckled, a small smirk graced his lips.

"Just leave me alone" Ciel somewhat pleaded. "I… I haven't done anything to you."

"Really now" the other said, "Just being born is enough for me to hate you." Ciel managed to scoff despite himself. The ringleader growled at Ciel, before looking at the boy with the rope.

"Tie the Phantomhive brat up" he said with a maniacal gleam in his eyes, as Ciel saw that gleam and the other advance on him he started to struggle against those holding him.

"Now, now, now..." the one with the rope said, "why don't you just behave for a tad? It would make life so much more simple." He added punching Ciel in the gut, sending the boy to his knees. He whimpered and coughed a bit, but refused to cry, not in front of these boys, not in front of those who tormented him on a daily basis. The boys then moved and bound Ciel tightly not taking any care for his wellbeing, the ropes digging into his skin and rubbing it raw as he strained against them.

"Let me go!" Ciel hissed at them. Only to be met with a whip impacting with his chest. The boy gasped but didn't stop struggling, a burst of adrenalin from the anger that was welling up inside of him the strength behind that.

The ring leader chuckled. "Stop struggling" he sapped motioning for Ciel to be whipped until he bled, and not just a mere scratch on the skin. The boys had Ciel whipped to the extent that the wounds were life threatening, but naturally they didn't care. Ciel barely let a scream leave his lips, however that wasn't enough for the boys after him. They wanted to hear him scream. They wanted to hear the boy's pathetic cries and pleas for help. So he was whipped some more. Leaving the boy even bloodier.

But they didn't stop their either. The ringleader poured the bottle of water down Ciel's throat. Then gagged him in order so he didn't spit it back out.

"Torture enough for you." He chuckled. Not waiting for Ciel to give a response. "Shame really." He mused, going and groping Ciel to his displeasure, "you really are too cute to kill" he added, sarcasm dripping in his voice, as he took the knife and drove it into Ciel's body, before turning and walking away. The other boys who came with him dropped Ciel into the snow, and left him there. To die.

To that group of boys Ciel was nothing but a burden, nothing by a pest that needed to be gotten rid of.

Ciel was left, beaten, bound, bloody, blood seeping out of the wound from where he was stabbed, and the water that was poured into his mouth before he was gagged was starting to freeze as the temperature that night plummeted dramatically. If no one found Ciel, he was surely going to die.

_But…_

Sebastian had become worried about his lovers whereabouts. He knew Ciel had been getting a rough time, especially at his University*. But he also knew that Ciel brushed it off a lot. To him it was nothing, just another day, another beating here and there, he expected it, and he had grown not to care. Oh it hurt Ciel, and on the inside the mental turmoil the boy was left in was enough for Sebastian to know that Ciel was in pain, it's just the boy didn't show it. And when he did, well Sebastian knew that things had gotten out of hand.

Sebastian was pacing around the flat that he and Ciel shared, worried half to death. Ciel had told him that he would be gone 10 minutes, half an hour max, he was only going down to the shops. But that was some 3 or 4 hours ago. "What could be taking so long? Where is he?" He muttered as he paced, his phone firmly gripped in his hand, he had left 18 messages and called him every 5 minutes after 40 minutes had gone since he left the house. _He'd kill me for being so over protective of him_ Sebastian thought as he finally gave into his worries and went out looking for Ciel. The one problem with that. He had no idea where Ciel could be, or what state he was in. The guy walked out of their flat, drawing his winter coat closer to him as he hissed slightly at the cold weather, as he set off into the night in order to find his lover.

As Sebastian traipsed through the snow, at a small running pace, he tried to call his lover again.

"Crap!" Sebastian cursed, as the phone continued to ring until it hit voicemail. "Where the fuck is he." _If he's in trouble, why didn't he call me? Why? Why didn't the fool let me know he was in trouble? _Oh how Sebastian was going to chide the boy when he found him, if he found him. He continued to run about glancing at his watch every now and then to see just how long Ciel had been missing for, and just how much longer could he possibly survive.

Once it had reached 5 hours of not knowing where he was Sebastian finally decided to call upon a friends of theirs. He dialled the first number and placed the phone against his ear

"What is it Sebs…" The female voice on the other end of the call answered, she knew something was up, Sebastian never called her otherwise. She had her nickname for him, and he did for her. Nothing ever went on between them, despite the heart-throb he was, the icon that every girl dreamed to date.

"Liz" he began, "Have you seen Ciel at all"

"Hmmm" Elizabeth replied, looking at her nails. "Haven't seen him since lectures today" she mused, "you lost him again" she added with a sigh, almost like it was a common occurrence to her.

"Not intentionally. Look I'm really worried about him, you remember the state he came back in the last time he disappeared like this. Plus it's snowing outside, he's not wearing a coat, you know what his health's like" Sebastian said quickly. He wanted Ciel back, he wanted the boy in his arms where he knew he was safe.

"Alright" Liz said with a small sigh, "I'll come help you look, but you've got to help me with some coursework then as payment."

Sebastian pretended to muse over that. "A fair compromise." He agreed. "you take the side of town closest to you, don't forget to check down the alleyways, if someone has hurt him, or been after him, then he might be down one hiding…" he didn't finish the sentence though, he hoped that Ciel wasn't dead.

"Okay." Elizabeth replied, "I'll drag Ed with me too for some extra manpower." She chuckled ever so lightly before hanging up and going and getting Edward, dragging him into the local area.

Meanwhile Sebastian called an associate of his. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Sebastian Michealis." The voice on the other end of the phone called.

"Let's drop the formalities." Sebastian snapped a little, the urgency in his voice.

"Oh, lost someone have we." It replied, "that's just more trouble. I already have enough work to do without having to go and look for your blasted lover."

Sebastian's attention seemed to have snapped to as he heard his associate say that. "You've seen him haven't you?"

"Maybe I have, maybe I haven't." the voice replied without an emotion. "Even if I have, I have no intention of helping you."

"He's never done anything to hurt you. Neither have I." Sebastian replied, a little pissed to say the least that the dick wasn't even giving much thought to it. "Anyway, think of the times we've helped you. Off our own backs. We didn't want anything in thanks." He continued. "Come on William, for once can you please just let go of what others have done to you and help me."

William seemed to muse over it for a while. "Yes. I saw Ciel, he was running into the park." He said with a sigh. "He was being chased by a group of lads, you can probably imagine the group I'm on about."

"I know." Sebastian said almost with a growl. He knew those boys were nothing but trouble. And he cursed the fact that he didn't make Ciel take him with him.

"Well, have you contacted Lizzie?" William asked.

_Lizzie?_ Sebastian thought to himself, _Liz never lets anyone call her Lizzie, its only Liz or Elizabeth._ He shook that thought from his head, it was merely a shock than anything, after all he knew William has a crush on Lizzie, it was just William didn't have the courage to admit that.

"Yeah I have" Sebastian replied, managing to get his thoughts in order.

"He was running in the direction of her house." William said, "I'll meet you at the entrance of the park, that way we can cover more ground, you know what the alleyways are like."

"Alright, thanks Will." Sebastian responded, and ended the call, he sprinted towards the park, hoping that he would be able to find Ciel soon.

6 hours had passed, 6 hours and Ciel had been missing, it wasn't looking good for the boy.

Sebastian met up with William outside the park and the pair began to walk through the fluffy snow that had covered the tracks Ciel and his attackers left. William had his flashlight with him. Shining the light in front of them, he noticed something, after all the boy was a clever chap.

"Hey. If you look carefully at the snow, you'll see that there is a discrepancy with the levelling." William commented.

"We're in a park Will, the grounds not even" Sebastian said with a sigh that only caused William to roll his eyes.

"I mean, considering that this park is pretty much deserted, and it's the dead of the night, there shouldn't be a dip like such in the snow, it's clear, in addition to the fact that the ground beneath us is slightly slippery underfoot, someone, or rather some people have come through here, within the last few hours."

"So…." Sebastian replied, all this worrying about Ciel was meaning he wasn't thinking things through as much as he should.

William slapped him upside the head. "If we follow this trail, we should be able to find the location of Ciel." He said with a sigh. Well that seemed to perk Sebastian up a bit, he snatched the flashlight out of William's hand and began to run ahead. "Hey wait up" William called out after him, chasing him so that he was sure nothing bad came of him.

"Hurry up then." Sebastian called back, just wanting to find his mate.

As they ran through the park and into the alleys Sebastian just had this sinking feeling, _I'm too late. I know it_, he thought to himself as he raced on. _I'll never forgive myself_, he continued to think. _What kind of boyfriend a-_ his chain of thought was cut short as… smack… he ploughed into Elizabeth and her brother.

"Sebs." She gasped slightly.

"sorry" he replied, helping her up. "any luck?" He asked, cutting to the chase quickly.

"No, sorry." She said with a sigh, not down this way, she looked to her right as she heard a slight panting and a light. Edward was coming along that alleyway, Lizzie looked at him. "Did you find him."

"No, he's not down here." Edward replied catching his breath slightly. Sebastian frowned, turning to the other alleyway that lead from the cross roads they had seemed to have met at.

"That leaves this way." He said, starting to walk down there. The others followed him, all worried about Ciel. Even if they never admitted it openly.

As they walked down the alleyway the air seemed to grow colder, almost as if death was lurking around the corner, ready to claim its next victim in the night. It made Sebastian visibly uncomfortable, the guy was starting to lose his composure. William walked beside him.

"He'll be fine." He said to Sebastian, putting a hand on his shoulder, "he's strong, and you know that."

"But…." Sebastian said, his bottom lip quavering, "It keeps happening, he keeps getting hurt. Yet he won't do anything about it."

"Maybe he thinks it'll get worse if they see him get the police involved." William said softly. "Do his parents know?" He asked as an afterthought.

Sebastian glared coldly at him for a moment, but then William wouldn't have known, "They're missing, no one knows where they are, and police said it was more than likely that they were dead."

"Oh. I'm sorry" William replied, "I didn't know."

"It's alright, no one other than I kn- CIEL!" Sebastian cut his sentence short and screamed his lovers name as he saw his limp and lifeless form lay in the snow just ahead. He abandoned the small search party running to the boy and falling to his knees behind him.

"Ciel..." he whispered, his hands hovered over the boy, his mind raced. He finally picked the boy up out of the snow, and cradled him close, trying to find a pulse, even if it was a weak one, he needed to know that Ciel was alive.

Elizabeth and William, followed not long after by Edward came to where they were.

"We need to get him to a hospital. Now!" Sebastian somewhat snapped at the three, they didn't care though, they knew he was worried. Lizzie went and pulled out her phone, she dialled '999' and was about to hit the call button when William stopped her.

"You know what he's like about hospitals. They'll ask questions and call the police about it." He commented quietly. Lizzie nodded and put her phone away,

"Sebs." She began. "Get him back home, I'll bring my aunt over, she'll be able to tend to him, she won't ask questions."

"Alright." Sebastian replied, untying the ropes that bound Ciel and removing the gag. He gasped slightly when he noticed the water in the boy's mouth from where it had been forced down his throat, Ciel was unable to swallow it, and as a result the water that remained had stated to freeze in his mouth, it was obvious that Ciel was in a hypothermic state.

Sebastian gently pulled the knife out of Ciel's side, and bandaged it up the best he could with his trembling hands, before shrugging off his winters coat and wrapping the boy in it. He stood up, carrying the boy. "Please hurry" he whispered to Lizzie, as he turned and walked back to his house, William trailing after him. He honestly was worried, he had never seen Ciel end up in this state before.

As soon as Sebastian got Ciel back to their flat he ordered William to turn the heating on and to grab him some blankets. William obeyed without question, grabbing the blankets as Sebastian lay Ciel on the bed they shared stripping the boy of his wet outer clothing. William passed him the blankets then went and turned the heating up. All the while, Sebastian tried to warm ciel up as much as he could to get him out of the hypothermic state, if he could do that before the doctor arrived then half of today's battle would have been won.

_Liz, please hurry_ he pleaded in his thoughts, he couldn't let this boy die, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. Then there were the parting words from Ciel's parents to him.

' "_Take good care of Ciel whilst were away." Rachel said to Sebastian, and Vincent smiled warmly at him,_

"_don't let him get in trouble." His voice was smooth and soft. And Sebastian agreed wholeheartedly to take care of their son, to love him, like someone would love their boyfriend. '_

Sebastian seemed to visibly sadden slightly as he remembered that. He let out a small sigh before doubling his effort to try to 'save' Ciel.

"I promised your parents the day they left on that business trip that I would look after you." He said to the unconscious boy. "Please don't make me break that promise to them." They might be missing, and as he had said to William, the boys parents might even be dead, but until Sebastian had conformation that they had passed on from this word, then in his eyes there was every chance that they were alive.

* * *

**Author's notes**

***University – it may seem like a common place to put Ciel education wise, but I chose this to be his level of education due to the fact that I, myself, am a University student. (Pssst, I study Law :))**

**General chapter note – I am elusive to the names of those who are targeting Ciel as I want them to be revealed slowly as the story goes on.**

**Just a mere introductory chapter, explaining what's happened between the protagonists for trouble to brew. **

**Please read and Review. Comments and criticisms welcome.**

**-Phantomhive Child**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Warning:**

**Sensitive topics:**

– **Attempted suicide mentioned in this chapter – please be aware of this, I do not intend to offend anyone with what I am writing.**

– **Self-harm also mentioned – as mentioned above I do not intend to offend anyone with what I am writing.**

* * *

Chapter 2

"Ciel come on." Sebastian pleaded with the unconscious boy, Ciel was showing no signs of coming out of this unconsciousness. "Please, please, please don't do this to me, after all I went through to find you, I'm not losing you now." He almost seemed to beg. But his pleas quite literally fell on deaf ears. He turned to William.

"Where's Liz" he somewhat demanded, "She should be here by now. It doesn't take an hour for her to get back to hers from the park and then to here."

William shrugged a little, "It depends,"

"On what." Sebastian snapped back.

"Depends on if her aunt is driving, it has snowed remember." William took a harsher tone in response to being snapped at. He knew Sebastian didn't mean it, that he was just worried, but it still annoyed him. As soon as Sebastian heard William talking to him in that tone he looked to the floor.

"I… I'm sorry" he began, "I didn't mean to snap." He looked up at William again, watching for his reaction.

"It's alright." William replied, "You're my friend, and you're worried about your mate, it's perfectly reasonable to expect you to snap and be irritable."

Sebastian nodded quietly. "Do you mind calling Liz to see where she is?" He asked quietly.

"Sure" William replied, picking up his phone from where he had placed it on the table in the room and calling Lizzie. It rang for a minute or two, Sebastian could hear the ringing tone, before Lizzie picked up.

"Hey, what is it?" she asked.

"Urm…" William began. Pausing for what seemed like an eternity, he had never really spoken to Lizzie on the phone. He rarely spoke to her at university, although they are in the same friendship group.

"William?" Lizzie asked, "What do you want?" to him her voice was heavenly, but he soon snapped to.

"Sebastian was just wondering how long you were going to be." He asked, glancing at Sebastian who was sat next to Ciel's limp form toying with the boys midnight blue hair. William let out a sigh before stepping out of the flat for a minute. "He's… well you know what he's like when Ciel gets hurt."

Lizzie nodded on the other end of the phone, even though William couldn't see it. "I'm on my way over with Edward and my aunt." She began. "How you holding up?" William was stunned for a second. Lizzie had asked how he was feeling.

"Err, I'm okay I guess, but then Ciel is a friend so yes I'm worried." The poor fool was trying to act cool towards the girl he had a crush on. Lizzie laughed a little down the phone.

"Don't try to act cool Mr. Spears." She teased ever so slightly. "You are just a close a friend to him as Ed and I are. You're just as worried about Ciel as Sebs is."

"Yeah." William replied, a small blush on his cheeks, "I guess I am."

Lizzie sighed, "I'll be about 5 minutes, the snows making things a little awkward." She said, responding to his very first question of this conversation.

"Thanks, I'll go tell him that." He replied and hung up, then walked back inside to where Sebastian was, "She'll be 5 minutes, the snow was causing problems." Sebastian looked up at the other and nodded, if one was to look carefully they would be able to see the Sebastian was crying, a few tears snaking their way down his cheeks. William went over to him and gently pulled him into a hug.

"What if he doesn't make it?" Sebastian sobbed out on his shoulder. "What kind of boyfriend does that make me?"

William sighed and tried to sooth him, "He'll make it. Remember Lizzie's aunts on her way over. She'll make sure he survives." In all honesty what Sebastian needed wasn't the words from William, just the fact that William was hugging him, that was enough support for now. Sebastian knew he would be fine when he knew Ciel was safe.

5 minutes later, as Lizzie had said over the phone, there was a knock at the door, and William detached himself from the tightish hug that Sebastian now had him in and opened it. He let Lizzie, Edward and their aunt into the flat taking them to where Ciel was.

"What exactly happened?" Ann asked looking over Ciel's battered and beaten body. "Elizabeth didn't explain."

Sebastian looked at Ann, "He was attacked by a group of boys, they beat him and stabbed him" well that was as much as Sebastian could deduce from what he saw of Ciel's injuries. Maybe Ann could better see what was wrong. She nodded and set to work tending to Ciel's injuries.

Whilst Ann got to work, Sebastian paced around the room. William was sat on the sofa there and Lizzie sat next to him.

"He's really taking this bad isn't he?" Lizzie said to William,

"Yeah, he's worse than last time" he replied, he honestly was worried. "I don't know how much more he could take." Elizabeth nodded.

"I don't know how much more both could take, I'm worried that one of these days Ciel's going to end up very badly injured, or even dead, and Sebastian's just going to go over the edge." William agreed wholeheartedly with her,

"But for now we should just watch what happens, both of them are strong and they should be able to get through it" Lizzie nodded then leaned back on the sofa and fell into a silence, just thinking about things, the only things that could be heard in the room was Sebastian's pacing and Ann as she helped Ciel.

An hour or so later Ann came to the rest of the group, Sebastian was over to them like a shot, wondering what had happened. Many thoughts raced through the guy's head, _was Ciel okay, any permanent damage…_

Ann looked at Sebastian then at the others. "He'll make it." She said softly, "He's going to be weak for a few days, and his asthma is going to play him up, but his body temperatures at a level where it isn't concerning, and despite the injuries he had sustained he should be up and about in a few days. He usually bounces back quite quickly." The group breathed a sigh of relief, the most noticeable coming from Sebastian. "Sebastian can I have a private word with you?" she asked, motioning to the kitchen. She didn't really need to worry the others as well.

"Alright" Sebastian replied, walking into the kitchen, closing the door once Ann had walked through. She turned to Sebastian and sighed,

"Do you know about the self-harm?" Sebastian's eyes widened in shock when she said that, he had no idea that Ciel had resorted to such.

"n-no. I didn't." the shock of hearing that came out in Sebastian's voice.

"I would say it's been going on a while. He appears to focus around his right wrist. Luckily they won't scar, I don't think the injuries were deep enough for any visible damage, though the injuries to his chest and the place where he was stabbed, those wounds will scar. Also I had to remove a chunk of metal from him. It was part of the blade stabbed into him, it must have snapped off when it hit his rib." Sebastian nodded, listening to what she was saying.

_Self-harm. I can't believe he would resort to that. _He thought to himself though was snapped out of it as Ann continued her narration.

"It was Cole* and the others wasn't it." She said, Sebastian nodded,

"It's always them" he replied quietly.

"Why doesn't he inform the police." She asked, honestly curious as to why Ciel didn't.

"Because he's scared that they are going to do him more harm knowing that the police are involved." Sebastian replied, "Plus the police aren't exactly one of Ciel's favourite people in the world, giving the whole situation with his parents."

Ann nodded, "Is there any more news about them?" Sebastian shook his head.

"It's been 14* months, and it's really not looking good, but until I hear word that they are dead then there is still hope."

"Well," she began, handing Sebastian a piece of paper with her mobile number on it. "If you need to contact me, use that so you don't have to go through Elizabeth all the time. Also let me know if he gets worse." Sebastian nodded.

"Thank-you" he replied softly showing her to the door. Lizzie and Edward left with their aunt, feeling happier that Ciel was going to make it.

William looked at Sebastian, unsure if he wanted him to stay or not, Ciel needed someone to tend to him whilst he was in that state, and William didn't want Sebastian to do it on his own, he had university work he needed to do, but William didn't want to offend Sebastian by asking if he wanted some help.

Sebastian glanced back at William going and sitting back next to Ciel, "do you mind staying for a while?" he asked, mainly for the reasons William was thinking.

"If you want me to" William replied, Sebastian nodded, he needed someone else around after all he was still digesting the self-harm. William went and sat down in the lounge area, so he was somewhere close if Sebastian needed to call him, but far enough away for Sebastian to be alone with Ciel.

_What the hell were you thinking? _Sebastian thought to himself as he started toying with Ciel's hair again. _Why didn't you tell me that you were self-harming, you idiot. You didn't need to resort to this, I've always promised to help you if you need it. _Sebastian stopped his mental rant about how stupid Ciel was, after all he had been self-harming. No all Sebastian had to do now was to make sure that Ciel didn't do it again.

Several hours passed by before Ciel started stirring, the boy had been out cold for about 6 hours by this point, but thankfully he was coming around. Sebastian was still by him, holding his hand and stroking his hair as Ciel opened his blue eyes.* "Hey" he called softly smiling down at Ciel, "How do you feel."

"Alright" Ciel replied, "Sleepy though." He added, lying naturally, he wasn't sleepy. He just wanted Sebastian to leave his side.

"You've had enough sleep" Sebastian replied, "You should stay awake for a while."

"O-okay" Ciel said moving to sit up, which Sebastian helped him do since Ciel was a little weak. "Do you mind making me a cup of tea?" Sebastian chuckled a little,

"Sure" He replied kissing his cheek before going to the kitchen to make some tea. On his way he saw William curled up asleep on the sofa. He managed a small smile at that before boiling the kettle, enough for all three of them.

Whilst Sebastian was making the tea, Ciel shifted a little, trying to get himself out of bed. It took a minute, but he managed to get himself standing. Using the edge of the bed and the wall for support he made his way into the bathroom, wanting to look at the extent of his injuries.

He stood in front of the mirror as he gently removed his bed shirt, staring in horror at the injuries on his chest. Although the injuries had been cleaned and tended to, for Ciel they just proved that the boys were just getting worse, treating him more like an object rather than a person. He gently traced his finger over the deepest of all the injuries, thankfully there were only one or two of the deep injuries, they had gone deep in the skin, but not too deep merely deep enough so that blood could be seen seeping out when the injuries occurred, the rest of the wounds would heal with little or no scarring, most were just thin red raw impact lines from the whip.

Ciel bit back a hiss as he caught an injury, but it didn't affect him, much. _I'm the boyfriend of the hottest boy in the university, he turned down every girl and guy who fawned over him when he met me, he said I was perfect, the most beautiful boy he had ever met. The most beautiful boy he had ever met, what a joke, just look at me, how can he say that I'm the most beautiful boy he had ever met, what with a body like mine. _Ciel had slipped into self-loathing thoughts, natural though, he usually went through a phase like this after an attack, not that Sebastian knew that he had those thoughts, he managed to keep up a perky composure on the face of things, though he knew Sebastian somewhat knew that despite the charade he was putting on the boy hurt. _Ugly, a burden, why does he stick around me, all I do is get him worked up and worried. He spends 90% of his time worrying about where I have been, whether I have gotten into trouble or not. _Ciel couldn't remember what Sebastian had promised his parents, so much had gone on in the months that they had been dating.*

Ciel looked at his left wrist, clear of any sign of harm, he then looked at his right wrist, a testament to the many times he had let the self-loathing thoughts get the better of him. Was the thoughts going to get the best of him yet again…?

He looked at the sink in front of him, at the razor there, he picked it up, toyed with it in his hands for a few moments before breaking the casing and pulling the blade out, he went and sat on the toilet seat, staring at the blade for what seemed like an eternity, _maybe I should, it won't hurt, it's never done in the past, my body's already a mess, one more can't hurt. _He thought as he placed the blade on his wrist, tears by now were flowing down the boy's cheeks as he tried to, and failed at not crying, the boy's sobs starting to shake his body. Despite this, his hands remained steady as he dragged the blade across his wrist watching the blood seep out and start to fall to the floor.

Whist all this was happening, Sebastian had made the tea, taking one cup over to William and gently shaking him awake before giving it to him. Sebastian then went back into the kitchen and retrieved the two other cups of tea, taking them to their bedroom. What he wasn't expecting when he got there was to find Ciel wasn't in bed. He put the cups of tea down on the bedside before glancing around the room and noticing that the bathroom door was slightly ajar and the light was on. He walked over to the room and pushed the door open, a sudden anger coming over him when he saw what Ciel had done.

Ciel hadn't even looked up when the door to the bathroom was pushed open, his cries hindering his vision, as he stared at his hand, watching the blood run out. Sebastian paid no attention, not realising through his anger that Ciel was crying and having no idea what had been going through the boys head moments before, as he walked over to the boy and slapped him hard.

"JUST WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Sebastian shouted at him, "DID YOU THINK THAT THIS WOULD SOLVE ALL YOUR PROBLEMS?!" Ciel didn't answer him, for Ciel resorting to self-harm had been a coping mechanism with everything that had happened. "ANSWER ME!" Sebastian screamed at him when he got no answer from Ciel.

"I am answering you." Ciel replied quietly, earning a glare from Sebastian,

"Like hell you are, talk to me about it." He responded. Ciel looked up at Sebastian out of his teary eyes,

"Just leave me alone. I don't want to talk about it." He said, trying to not let his emotions come through in his voice.

"No." Sebastian said sternly. "_We _need to talk about this,"

_We, what 'we'_ Ciel thought to himself, _it's my problem I don't need anyone to talk about it to. _

Sebastian just seemed to get angrier with Ciel's responses, or rather lack of them. He slapped Ciel again, anger controlling him now. Well that made Ciel snap.

"JUST FUCK OFF AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" He shouted at Sebastian, who refused to move from where he was stood, "I MEAN IT, GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE!" Sebastian huffed a little, seeing Ciel was being stubborn and stupid, he stormed out of the bathroom, slamming the door.

Sebastian went and slumped in the armchair that they had, earning a confused look from William. Sebastian noticed this, but didn't say anything for about 5 minutes, until he had calmed enough, "He's self-harming." Sebastian said to William,

"I know" William replied. Sebastian was… well he didn't know what to think.

"You knew about the self-harming?" Sebastian asked, William nodded in response. "And you never thought to mention it to me?"

"I saw the marks on his wrist one day at university, and I questioned him about it." William replied, "He told me and asked me not to tell you. So, as his friend I said I wouldn't say."

Sebastian growled a little. William didn't seem fazed by it though, after all he was only doing what a friend would do, he had promised to keep it a secret, and Ciel knew that he would, that's why he had told him.

"You shouted at him because of it." William stated, "He uses it as a coping mechanism, because he doesn't know how to explain how he feels. You probably have noticed how he manages to keep up a perky demeanour after the attacks on him."

"Yeah, I just assumed that it was because he was trying to show the others that they hadn't gotten to him." Sebastian replied.

"In a way yes, that's part of why he's doing it, but he's also doing it so you don't worry, he thinks he's nothing but a burden to you, especially with all the attacks he's getting."

"And how do you know this. Is it something else he told you?" Sebastian asked, slight jealousy there considering that Ciel had told William about the self-harming, and William seemed to know so much about what was happening.

William sighed and rolled up his sleeve and showed Sebastian the evidence from when he self-harmed. "Just observations I made about him, and thinking about how I used to react to similar situations. This was all when I was much younger though."

Sebastian nodded, _so two of my friends have had a rough time._ He was starting to feel guilty about the way that he had acted around Ciel, how he had treated him when he didn't know the situation.

"One more thing." William continued, "I don't know if he'll go this far, but it was something I tried, he might. Might resort to trying to suicide."

Sebastian gasped, running back to the bathroom, hammering on the door for Ciel to let him in, as when he had left Ciel had locked the door.

The boy wasn't paying attention to his boyfriend, he was now sat in the corner of the bathroom, with the blade against his neck. Sebastian was a fool for not considering taking it away from him. Ciel continued to cry, his thoughts had gotten even more self-loathing. _I should just die. That's it, that's the answer to my problems, I should die, and then everything will be fine. I won't be a target for Cole and that lot, after all they had said 'just being born was enough for them to hate me'._

"CIEL OPEN THE DOOR." Sebastian shouted, snapping Ciel out of his thoughts, only for an anger to fill him, sending him back into the thoughts.

_I won't be a burden to Sebastian, to no one, Sebastian would be able to find a better looking mate, someone more beautiful than me, there are always plenty of good looking guys and girls willing be his mate._

"Ciel please open the door." Sebastian said, his voice softer this time, apologetic. "Please, we need, I need to talk to you, I want to help you, and I promised you, and your parents that I would protect you."

Ciel still wasn't listening, he pressed the blade into the skin, drawing some blood, as he slowly started to move it across his neck.

Sebastian was getting worried by the silence in the bathroom. "If you don't answer me in 5 seconds I'm breaking down this door." He said, then waited 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… Ciel hadn't answered, so Sebastian kicked the door in. he was worried, worried about his boyfriend.

Once the dust had settled Sebastian's eyes scanned the room looking for Ciel, he sighed a little seeing him huddled in the corner, though his eyes widened when he saw the blade slowly moving across his throat, thankfully by this point Ciel hadn't gotten far. Ciel didn't seem to notice that Sebastian was there. Sebastian walked over to Ciel crouching down in front of him, trying to stop Ciel from going any further.

"Ciel…" Sebastian began, he knew it probably would take a lot to convince the boy to stop what he was doing, but he had to try. "Ciel, I'm sorry for what I said, for slapping you. I lost my temper, I didn't understand the situation fully." He paused watching for Ciel's reaction, after a second or two Ciel stopped moving his hand across his neck. Sebastian mentally sighed, but noticed Ciel didn't remove the blade from where it was.

"You don't want to, do you?" he asked, finally noticing the boy's trembling body, the tears rolling down his cheeks. _How could I have been so stupid not to have noticed this earlier? _

"Ciel, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry." He continued bringing his hand up to caress Ciel's cheek, only for the boy to move his head away from the touch. Sebastian looked Ciel over seeing if he had injured himself any more than Sebastian already knew, whilst doing so he took a careful look at Ciel's chest injuries, realising instantly another thing that was probably going through, or had been going through his head.

"I love you. You know that right. It doesn't matter how many scars you have because I'll love you whether you have 1 or 100 scars. You're still the boy I fell in love with. You're still the most beautiful boy I've seen." He held his hand out to Ciel, letting him make the next move.

"You mean that?" Ciel somewhat choked out through the sobs of his.

"Yes." Sebastian replied, "With all my heart." Ciel shifted a little, taking the blade away from his neck and placing it in Sebastian's hand. Sebastian sighed in relief as that happened, bringing his other hand back up to Ciel's cheek and caressing it.

Sebastian tossed the blade away, pulling Ciel into a tight hug, "I love you" he whispered again, wiping the tears away from Ciel's eyes and kissing his cheek.

"I… I love you too." Ciel replied holding onto Sebastian tight, burying his head against Sebastian's neck.

"I love you." Sebastian repeated again, "and I'll repeat it again and again, even if you start saying I sound like a broken record, I'll keep repeating it to remind you, so that you always know how much I do love you."

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**General note – I often refer to Ciel as 'the boy', Ciel is in fact 19 in this story, and I use 'the boy' to reference the fact that he doesn't always show himself as a 19 year old, sometimes, especially as a result of the attacks Ciel seems and acts much younger than he is.**

***Cole – for those who haven't read the manga, and a reminder for those who have, Cole is a student at Weston College who causes Ciel some trouble. In this story he is just one of the group behind Ciel's misery, he also isn't the ringleader behind the pack. **

***14 months – roughly the time, a little less, since Ciel started university, Ciel is in his second year at University, (its set around December time) his parents had disappeared roughly a month into Ciel's first year at university.**

***Ciel doesn't lay claim to his purple eye at present, though things will change.**

***Ciel and Sebastian have been dating for about 15 months, they met before university in their then accommodation, they shared a flat with 4 others, they hit it off to begin with, unofficially dating, but officially they have been dating a few weeks longer than Ciel's parents have been missing.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter warning:**

**Mentions self-harm – continuation from the previous chapter.**

**Mentions attempted suicide – continuation from the previous chapter**

* * *

Chapter 3

"I love you." Sebastian whispered again for the sake of it, and Ciel smiled as he relaxed more into his boyfriend's arms, sighing, happier.

"I love you too," Ciel replied, nuzzling Sebastian a little.

"Ciel…" Sebastian began, on a slightly more serious note. Ciel didn't like the sound of that, he was going to get chided, or moaned at, at least.

"What is it?" Ciel replied, his voice seemingly depressed. Sebastian looked at him and kissed his cheek.

"Promise me you won't self-harm, or try to commit suicide again," he said. Ciel just looked up at Sebastian, retreating into himself for a moment or two.

_I… I can't promise that. I didn't want him to know in the first place. It's who I am, how I get through things. I… I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for the self-harming being my emotional release. _He stopped his thoughts and sighed. "I can't…. I can't promise," he said quietly. "You probably won't understand."

"Ciel..." Sebastian whispered, truly worried. "You're right, I don't understand. But I want to. I want to help you, like I promised I would. I'm not going to judge or anything. I just want to be there for you, to be the boyfriend that I have always been." He stopped and looked at Ciel. It was clear on the boy's face that it was something that he didn't want to talk about. Sebastian sighed and hugged him close again.

"If you don't want to talk, then that's fine. But you know I'll always listen if you want to talk about it, day or night, even if you wake me up, I'll listen."

Ciel smiled a little, at that, though mainly at the thought that Sebastian knew that one day he would talk to him about it, it was just something natural. Ciel would always end up crying about his problems to him.

And Sebastian always helped, though he did hope that Ciel wouldn't let it manifest and build like he did the last time, that everything would be okay, or okay in the end at least.

Sebastian eventually, after hugging Ciel for what seemed like an eternity again, stood up, pulling the boy with him. "Why don't we watch a movie or something, it'll take your mind off of things.

"Sure." Ciel replied with a shrug.

"Now what film?" Sebastian asked Ciel.

"I don't mind," was the response. "You choose." Ciel wasn't in the mood for making choices.

"I asked you to choose," Sebastian replied, adamant that it was Ciel's turn to choose the movie, when Sebastian chose he always chose a movie he knew Ciel would like.

"You know what I'm like with choices." Ciel replied, okay that was a fair point, Ciel often took a while to choose.

"Alright then" Sebastian replied placing a soft kiss on his boyfriend's lips. "Why don't you go get some snacks and things whilst I choose a movie?"

Ciel smiled and went to the kitchen and grabbed them chocolate, crisps and other snack things. He didn't care, it might have been early in the morning, but after that attack Sebastian wasn't going to let Ciel go to university, or out of his sight for the next few days. No Sebastian wanted to keep everything relatively calm to help Ciel recover properly, okay, well to an extent. Or so Sebastian thought.

_Hmmm, what movie to watch, Ghost Rider, Dare Devil, The Shawshank Redemption_. Sebastian mentally ran through a list of movies he knew Ciel liked, _but they have a lot of violence, I want to keep him away from violence for a while_. Though his chain of thought was cut off when Ciel entered the room with the snacks.

"What you chosen then?" Ciel asked.

"Titanic," Sebastian said with a teasing tone. Ciel stuck his tongue out at him.

"Come on, more interesting than that. Ciel whined. Sebastian just laughed.

"The Shawshank Redemption?" He suggested, "If you can stay awake."

"Sure," Ciel replied, "haven't watched it in a while."

Sebastian laughed again. "Only because you fell asleep whilst watching it."

"It's not my fault it's two-and-a-half-hours long." Ciel replied with a whine. Sebastian smiled and kissed his cheek.

"It doesn't matter if you fall asleep. I'm sure you can catch up with it tomorrow at some point."

Ciel sighed. "You're not letting me leave the flat tomorrow are you?" Sebastian shook his head.

"No I'm not."

"But I have things I need to finish." Ciel replied, "Remember the coursework deadlines in less than a week."

"And you'll do fine." Sebastian said, "You've passed all the others superbly. Letting yourself take one day off won't hurt."

"But it won't be one day." Ciel said. "It'll be two or three." He didn't need, no he didn't want to be stuck inside for two or three days.

Sebastian sighed inwardly and chose to compromise with the boy. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow you'll stay off university, and we'll see how you are then. If you're up for it then the following day you can go back to university. Okay?"

Ciel smiled and hugged Sebastian tight, "Perfect" he replied kissing him.

"So now that's settled, shall we watch the movie?"

Ciel nodded going and sitting in the bed next to Sebastian, cuddling up next to him as they watched the movie. Ciel ended up with his head on Sebastian's chest, Sebastian toying with his Ciel's hair, not really bothered with watching the movie, more intent on watching over his boyfriend, feeling very protective over Ciel at present.

Sebastian wouldn't sleep either, even once Ciel had fallen asleep on him, he didn't move a muscle, just lay there quietly, playing with a piece of Ciel's hair, thinking about what had happened.

_Should I go to the police…? _Sebastian began thinking to himself. _Or do I leave it? Do I risk making things worse for Ciel by involving the police? Or do I let things continue, and let Ciel get hurt more? _It was a double edged sword, either way, if he got the police involved or not, Ciel would get hurt more, and it hurt Sebastian knowing that, knowing that there was no escape for Ciel, in the short term anyway, after they had finished university, then well the pair could go on with their life, and those tormenting Ciel would go their own way, but that was a few years away, and Ciel might not last that long. In the end he just gave up on his thoughts, and looking up at the ceiling, occasionally glancing out the window watching the winter's sun rise.

It was a few hours later when Sebastian finally chose to get out of bed, despite the fact that Ciel was still asleep on him, he carefully shifted his sleeping lover and covered him with a blanket, allowing him to sleep more. He didn't want Ciel to wake, not yet, he deserved to sleep peacefully.

Sebastian slipped on a shirt and went into the living room, William was up and awake, still here, honouring what his friend had asked him the night before.

"How is he?" William asked, he was still worried about his friend.

"He'll be okay." Sebastian replied, "He's sleeping so…"

"I guess that's best for now. I take it you're not going into University today. "

Sebastian shook his head, "You should know me by now." He replied, "But we'll be back tomorrow." He added with a sigh.

"You sound like you don't want to." William stated.

"Well…" Sebastian began, "it's more of a compromise. Ciel didn't want to be off university for two or three days. So I said, if he's better later then he can go back tomorrow. Anyway, it's only seminars that we're missing today nothing big."

William chuckled a little, "are you sure you're his boyfriend." He asked, "Because you're protectiveness makes me think that you're his parent." Sebastian smiled a little at that.

"You know what I'm like" he replied, "I just want to let the injuries heal a bit before he goes back, but he's stubborn, and well you know what he gets like when he's stubborn." William nodded,

"But at least he's staying off university today,"

"Yeah, that's the one thing I wouldn't budge on." William smiled. "So…" Sebastian continued, "Want some tea."

"Sure" William replied.

Sebastian nodded and stood up going into the kitchen and making the tea. Coming back out about 5 minutes later with 2 cups of tea. He passed one to William before sighing a little.

"Do you honestly think I should inform the police?" Sebastian asked.

"If I were you, then I would. But you're not me and I'm not you, so what you need to think about is what's best for you and Ciel." William replied taking a sip of the tea.

"We both want this sorted." Sebastian said,

"But…" William continued, "Ciel doesn't want to risk more injury to himself. Correct."

Sebastian nodded. "A double edged sword, we go to the police, and he gets hurt more. We leave things be and he still gets hurt."

"What I don't get is why Cole and the others listen to the prick after Ciel. They know he's trouble, if they stopped doing what he said... well they probably would receive a slightly lighter punishment."

Sebastian glared at William for a second. "A slightly lighter punishment." He spat. "They're all just as bad as each other, they need ten tonnes of shit kicked into them."

"Would you do it," William asked, "will you go and kick ten tonnes of shit into them?"

Sebastian nodded, "I would…" he hesitated ever so slightly for a second, "Actually, no I wouldn't, because Ciel would get hurt more, and it'd make me just as bad as them."

William nodded, smiling slightly, glad that his friend had saw reason. "Urm, I hate to love you and leave you but I promised that I would go and help Midford with some work he doesn't get."

Sebastian waved it away, "It's okay." He replied with a smile, "I take it Edwards paying more attention to cricket than his studies,"

"Doesn't he always?" William replied, finishing his tea. "But then again he isn't a 'nerd' like us." He joked a little, and Sebastian let out a small laugh.

"No, he isn't." Sebastian paused, "but he's a clever chap if he puts his mind to it."

"Sebastian…" William said,

"What?"

"You're tired, go back to bed."

"Why?" Sebastian questioned.

"Because you sound like a teacher." William said with a chuckle.

Sebastian merely rolled his eyes and laughed. "Maybe I do, but you of all people know how worried I am about Ciel."

"Yeah I know how worried you are about Ciel." William replied, "Nothing ever changes, you've been head over heels since you met the boy in our first year."

Sebastian smirked slightly, "Indeed, but, you are just as in love as I, still you haven't done anything about your feelings towards Liz."

"I doubt she likes me." William replied, slightly down heartened.

"Never doubt what you're not sure about." Sebastian replied, "You never know, maybe she does."

William just shrugged, "Maybe." He said before standing up. "Maybe I'll talk to her today." He added, walking to the door. "Make sure both you and Ciel rest up and relax."

Sebastian nodded and gave him a joking salute. William smiled and left, closing the door gently behind him as to not wake Ciel.

Sebastian on the other had sat and finished his cup of tea, reading through some emails on his laptop, one seemed to catch his eye. _A case update_. He thought to himself. He had asked the team investigating Ciel's parent's disappearance to keep him informed and updated as to what was happening. _So, there's still no physical sighting of them_, he thought sadly, _despite there being several bits of evidence that appears to make it look like they're alive. _He looked up from his laptop towards the bedroom door, _just how hard is it for him. His parents… the attacks…_ Sebastian really didn't know what the boy was going through, after all he hadn't really 'lost' the people he loved.

He closed his laptop and stood up going back towards the bedroom and standing in the door, just watching Ciel sleep. Gods did he look adorable like that.

Sebastian let a soft smile grace his lips, at least Ciel was safe, and that's what mattered for now. However there was still that nagging thought, the want to protect him more, but he knew Ciel wouldn't agree to it.

_You're just being over concerned. Things will work out in the end. They always do. Not that it might be visible now but his life will be on the up-…. Yeah right… just after how long of hitting rock bottom. He can't take much more. The next attack might kill him… _Sebastian thought to himself, before he felt himself being drawn into a mental argument.

_You're just being over protective. _– He wasn't, he was just concerned about Ciel. Ciel knew he wanted to protect him, Sebastian had told him that he wanted to protect him.

_He doesn't want it. _- Ciel might have said that he was being over protective and that it was annoying. But he has never said he didn't like the over protectiveness. Just the opposite in fact. He liked Sebastian being over protective, it helped him.

_It's not doing you any good._ – Sebastian didn't care if it made him worry, if his over protectiveness made him sick, he would still be over protective, and that wouldn't change.

_You don't love him… _- shut up

_At least not as a boyfri-_ that was it, Sebastian shook his head, almost like a wet pup, how could he doubt his relationship with Ciel. That was… that was just wrong. He adored Ciel, and Ciel knew that, that was all that mattered. Being protective came with the territory, most people are protective of the ones they love. It was completely natural.

Sebastian looked at Ciel again before walking back over to the bed and slipping into the covers and cuddling up to Ciel.

He pulled Ciel close to him, placing a soft kiss in the boy's neck, nuzzling him slightly, as he did the one thing that he had said that he didn't want to do, he fell asleep.

* * *

Whilst Sebastian was falling asleep next to Ciel. At another flat a group of boys was stood talking.

"You left him there to die." A boy said, clearly he was the leader of the whole plot to torment Ciel. "Couldn't you have brought him to me? We could have had so much fun."

"We…" Cole replied, sounding a little hesitant, not the cocky shit that had attacked Ciel just hours before. "Michaelis was looking for the boy, we couldn't risk it."

"Couldn't risk it eh…"

Cole shook his head, "but we caused him pain. That was what you asked of us."

"So it was. But to have Phantomhive as my… pet… would be amusing."

"But what exactly would you do to him?" Cole asked, "I mean he wouldn't be much use. He's nothing but a burden to everyone anyway."

"I'll think of something. Just make sure you cause the boy as much pain as possible whilst I come up with a plan."

"Yes si-" Cole was cut short.

"Don't call me sir. I'm the same age as you." The other boy growled.

"Sorry. Trancy."

Alois Trancy, he was the one behind Ciel's torment. He was a jealous shit to say the least. Always wanting what he can't have. And yes, that included Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis. Though his motivations for wanting the two were completely different.

Alois certainly was a spoilt brat. His parents gave him what he wanted, and when he wanted it. Money, cars, clothes. You name it, Alois got it. But there were two things that his parents couldn't give him. And that made him angry. So that was when he decided that he would take those two things for himself. He didn't care how he got them… just that he got them. That was Alois Trancy.

"hey…" another voice spoke up, "just when can we have the fun that you promised us." Alois looked over at him from the armchair he was sat in, a glass of whiskey in one hand, the bottle on the table next to him.

"Patience Ash… patience." He replied, "The time will come. Don't you worry about that. Though I have a job for you. Will you be able to handle it?"

"Of course" Ash replied standing close to Alois, so he could whisper what it was that Ash was supposed to do to Ciel.

A smirk grew across Alois's face as he watched Ash step back and process that little order. "Enough fun to sustain the animal within?" Alois questioned.

"Certainly. But it'll have to wait, after all with the state that we left Ciel in, Sebastian wont be allowing him out of their flat for a day at least."

Alois merely shrugged at that. "I didn't give you a time frame." He replied. "you just have until I come up with a plan to get what I want." _And what I want, Sebastian Michaelis, Ciel Phantomhive, is you. And I don't care how I get you. As long as I get you._

* * *

**Authors notes:**

**I do not own the movies mentioned in this chapter.**

**Alois, Ash, Cole – just part of the group after Ciel.**

**The bit about Alois and the group after Ciel was just a small insight into what they were like. Though they were quite tame to be truthful. **

**Thank-you for sticking with the story.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Warnings:**

**Vaguely mentions Self-harm and Suicide. (As continues with the theme from the previous chapters.)**

**Violence and foul language**

* * *

Chapter 4

Ciel woke around noon, to Sebastian's breathing into his neck. He let a small smile grace his lips, before shifting slightly in order to get up. Even though he might not have gone into university, there was no way he was going to sit around and do nothing.

He gently moved away from Sebastian, as to not wake him, like Sebastian had done when he had got up in the morning and slid over to the edge of the bed and climbing out. Ciel glanced at the television, the screen was dark. "He was right, he said I would, I did fall asleep part of the way through." He mumbled to himself. He sighed slightly, going and getting the DVD from the player and taking it to the front room, where he went to finish watching the movie.

A few hours later, and Ciel had finished watching the movie. He finally managed to watch it all the way through. He leaned back on the sofa, sighing a little, thinking,

_Why? Why am I their target, I've done nothing to hurt them. Well apart from being born in their words. I just don't understand. Just what is Trancy's motivation, what is Cole's, and Ash's motivation too? Surely they aren't just following Trancy's orders. They're not that stupid._ He sighed as he stood up and went into the kitchen and made himself a cup of tea, and a cup for Sebastian too.

Ciel took a moment to think again, just about the latest attack on him. Part of him had felt thankful that the group had caught him, and when the knife impaled him, something inside him had felt strange, like he wanted it. If they had killed him, that would have meant that his suffering was over, that he wouldn't have to put up with the boys torment any more.

But then when Sebastian found him, and coming back around, waking up in his own bed, maybe death wasn't the best idea, but it certainly was an idea that remained in his head.

Ciel took the two cups of tea to their bedroom, placing them down on the bedside and going to the bed. He climbed on and crawled over to where Sebastian was still sleeping and kissed his nose.

Sebastian shifted slightly, sneezing a little, earning a giggle from Ciel. "Adorable." Ciel teased, knowing that Sebastian was probably half asleep. Sebastian cracked open an eye looking at Ciel.

"I'm not adorable" Sebastian said, half-asleep.

"Yes you are." Ciel replied, Sebastian merely pouted in response to that.

"I'm not adorable." He repeated. Ciel giggled a little.

"Okay. Not adorable. But the most handsomest boy in the world." He said after musing for a moment. Sebastian smiled and sat up. His hair mused up a little. Ciel smiled and kissed his cheek before handing him one of the cups of tea. Sebastian took it with a smile, sipping it quietly, pulling Ciel close to him.

"How are you feeling today?" Sebastian asked quietly. After all he was still worried.

"A little sore in places, but other than that I'm fine." Ciel replied.

"Are you sure?" Sebastian asked, "I know your 'okay's' they don't actually mean okay."

Ciel shrugged, "I hurt yes, but I'll be fine, I'm not going to let them walk all over me."

Sebastian sighed slightly. _But you do, every time you cut yourself, or try to suicide, you're showing them that they're winning, that they are getting you down. You shouldn't be a stubborn brat and go to the police about it._ He thought to himself. Not that he would argue about it with Ciel. It would get him nowhere.

Ciel cocked his head slightly, wondering what he was thinking about. Sebastian looked back at him, smiling a little. "A letter came for you." He said softly, "I don't know if you saw it."

"Where is it?" Ciel asked.

"In the dining room on the table."

"Cheers." Ciel said kissing Sebastian's cheek, getting up to go and read the letter. Sebastian got up too going and standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame, watching Ciel as he sat at the dining room table opening the letter.

Ciel's eyes glanced over at the letter, before he read it again, this time taking much more notice of what was written, reading it several times over.

The letter was from a high figure of authority, though who that person was, is of no concern, what the main concern was the letter. Not that it was a concern at all, it actually was more of a happier letter.

It read…

_Dear Mr. Phantomhive, I am writing to you, as instructed by your parents several years ago. I was told not to inform you of this until your 20__th__ birthday, though with the current circumstances I feel that you have the right to know now._

Ciel's mind raced as he read that first part. 'What about his parents not telling him? Was it linked to their disappearance? Was it going to be bad news? Did his parents know they were going to go missing?' All these questions raced through the boys head, but he continued reading the letter.

_I am saddened to hear about your parents' disappearance, and hope that they return home to you safely._

'So….' Ciel thought to himself, 'they're still missing.' He let out a small sigh before continuing to read.

_I wish to inform you of your family's status. Your parents felt that it was wise for you not to know this until you turned 20, wanting you to have as much of a normal upbringing as possible._

Ciel rolled his eyes as he read that. He didn't need the letter to dance around the main point, he just wished it would get to the point.

_You, my boy, are the heir to an Earldom, a Lord by birth. The Phantomhive Earldom will be yours one day. I would have preferred to have come and told you this in person, however since you are at university, I understand you have a busy timetable. If you have any questions feel free to contact me on XXXXX-XXX-XXX. Yours sincerely. Earl Grey. _

Ciel's eyes widened as he read that, was this a joke. Surely not, but it could have been. Ciel wouldn't put it past Cole, or Trancy to formulate something like this. No he needed to confirm this for himself. He stood up from the table. Letter in hand, grabbing his mobile and walking into the bathroom. Well he knew that he would be alone there and Sebastian wouldn't interrupt him whilst he was on the phone.

Sebastian watched where Ciel had gone, worried, he had watched Ciel's expressions as he read the letter, he wondered if it was good or bad news. But he wouldn't, and didn't push it. Ciel would tell him in his own time.

After about 10 minutes on the phone, Ciel emerged from the bathroom. He didn't say anything to Sebastian, grabbing some clothes and getting dressed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sebastian asked, curious and worried.

"I'm going to the university. I've got a meeting with someone." Ciel replied, picking up his shoes and put them on.

"And when were you going to tell me about this?" he questioned.

Ciel looked at him, "It's something that's just come up, I won't be long." He said picking up the letter and heading for the door.

"Ciel…" Sebastian began. "Do you want me to come with you? I mean after what happened yesterday."

Ciel shook his head. "I'll be fine. If anything goes wrong I'll call you, okay."

"Promise?" Sebastian asked.

"Promise." Ciel replied with a smile. Sebastian smiled back a little. Going and sitting down to wait for him to come back, Sebastian would only stop worrying when Ciel returned home. Ciel giggled a little knowing Sebastian was being over protective. He left the house and made his way to the university.

* * *

Once Ciel had reached the university, which was only about a 10 minute walk from where he lived, he made his way to the office of his personal tutor. Claude Faustus. Ciel quietly knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. Claude came to the door.

"Ahh, Phantomhive" Claude said, "I take it you're here in response to the letter." He added.

Ciel nodded, "But how do you know about the letter Claude"*

"Come in" Claude said, allowing Ciel to enter into the room. There was another gentleman sat in there. He looked up at Ciel motioning for him to sit down.

"Earl Grey, I presume." Ciel said quietly, earning a nod from the gentleman.

"I had hoped to have caught you during your seminars today, but obviously you didn't turn up." Earl Grey commented.

"I… I haven't been feeling very well, Sebastian made me stay at home."

"I take it he worries a lot about you." Grey said, resting his chin on his hand.

"He does." Ciel replied, "It might be annoying sometimes, but it's part of his charm, part of what made me fall in love with him" Earl Grey nodded in response to that.

"Well as you said over the phone, you wanted to confirm that what I put in that letter was true. Correct?"

"Yes." Ciel replied quietly, "You see I've been let down a lot when it comes to letters, I just need to hear it in person to believe it."

"Well…" Earl Grey began, "I wasn't lying in that letter you are a Lord by birth, heir to the Phantomhive Earldom." Ciel nodded quietly, a sinking feeling in his gut. Claude handed him a cup of tea, sensing the boy's inner turmoil. Ciel thanked him quietly and took a sip before looking up at Earl Grey.

"Why are you telling me this now? Are you basically telling me this because my parents aren't coming back to me?" his grip around his cup tightened a little, talking about his parents was always a sensitive topic at present.

"We still don't know what's happening with your parents. Reports are conflicting. We've had some reports that they have been sighted, and others counter-claiming those. There is expenditure on their accounts, but we don't know if that is by their doing or whether they had been robbed." Ciel nodded at what the Earl was saying, sighing a little.

"Look Ciel. I wasn't bringing the matter to your attention because of the situation with your parents, I was bringing it up because you have a right to know. A right to know your linage." Grey continued softly, "and as I stated in that letter, you would have been told on your 20th birthday anyway."

"T-Thank-you" Ciel said quietly, "I-if it's alright with everyone here, can we just keep the fact that I am Lord, heir to an Earldom, between us, I don't want them to know." Actually Ciel had no problem with the staff knowing his title, but if Trancy and that lot found out, well Ciel didn't know what would happen, whether the attacks would increase or not.

"If that is what you wish" Claude said looking over at Earl Grey, "then we will honour that."

Ciel nodded, then finished his tea, standing to leave, he extended his hand which Earl Grey shook. He smiled slightly before leaving the room. Unaware was Ciel, but someone had been earwigging on their conversation.

Ash had seen Ciel come into the University alone, and followed him, feeling that his was a good a time as ever to do what Alois asked of him. And during the meeting he had sat underneath the window of the office, and since the window was open, well he heard the conversation. As soon as Ciel was out of the room, Ash ran to the exit to the corridor Ciel was on to stop the boy.

Unfortunately, well in one sense, lucky in another, when Ash had caught up with Ciel he was at the stair well. (Claude's office window lead out onto an outside walkway on the second floor.) He grabbed Ciel's arm and pushed him up against the wall with a chuckle. Ciel grunted slightly as he felt his back hit the wall but he let no sound pass his lips other than that. No he wasn't going to give Ash the satisfaction of hearing him in pain.

"So, you really are a little fucking rich brat." Ash sneered at him.

"I-I don't know what you're on about." Ciel replied, trying to play the dumb, naive, idiot. Though Ash wasn't fooled.

"Your title. Dickhead. You're a fucking Lord. Just how in hell does that work, who did you sleep with to get that?"

Ciel gasped slightly hearing that, angry at what he said, yes, but more shocked about how he knew about Ciel's title. "I… I didn-" Ash wouldn't let Ciel speak in defence, his hand around Ciel's throat.

"Don't tell me you didn't know. Because I wouldn't believe you. Scum of the earth like you don't deserve titles." Ash continued to insult Ciel. Not that Ciel was taking any care about what he was saying. He was more focused on getting Ash to let go of him so at least he could breathe.

Ciel managed a weak growl at Ash before kneeing him in the groin. It sent Ash to his knees, tears welling in his eyes. Ciel stared at him coldly. "Stay out of my life. I don't interfere with yours so just keep out of mine. Who my family are, and whether I carry the title of Lord is none of your concern." He said firmly, before starting to walk down the stairs, after all he wanted to tell Sebastian of the news, well he did tell the guy almost everything.

Ash however wasn't going to give up, no way in hell was he going to give up, and he wasn't going to let Ciel get the best of him. And suffering harm to his manhood in the form of Ciel kneeing him, he certainly wanted some payback. Even though it was something Alois asked him to do, there was no set location for it to occur, and well since they were at a set of stairs, and a more perfect an opportunity couldn't have cropped up at that point in time.

Ash ran down the few steps that Ciel had taken, after he had bit back the pain that his throbbing manhood was causing him, he grabbed Ciel by his arm.

"You know Phantomhive," Ash began, "you and Michaelis could always come join our little group of friends, I'm sure you'll be welcome, with a small donation involved."

Ciel glared at him, yanking his arm free, he turned and growled at him, "You'll never be able to buy my friendship, after what you and your friends have done to me." He spat a little. "Now just leave me alone."

Ash sneered a little at Ciel, before landing a sudden and unexpected, powerful, anger filled punch in Ciel's right eye.

What happened next was all too quick for Ciel to really understand. Something seemed to pop in his eye as he staggered back from the punch. Unfortunately as Ciel staggered back from the punch, having momentarily forgotten that he was stood on the stairs, he lost his footing and went tumbling backwards, his head hit the hand rail and the boy's body went limp slightly, as he fell towards the floor, his body hitting the dozens of steps on its way down. After what seemed like a while, but in reality was only a few seconds, Ciel was lay in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, battered and bruise from the fall and barely conscious, there was blood flowing from his right eye as a result of the punch that Ash had given him. Ciel was in a lot of pain, not that he would tell anyone that, a broken rib had been pushed against his lungs.

Ash stood at the top of the stairs for a moment, smirking, chuckling at what had happened, it was just the perfect set up. He caused Ciel more pain, and had done was Alois had wanted. But now Ash had to make it look like he had stumbled across the scene, and not that he was the cause of it.

He psyched himself into a panicky state before running to the office where Claude and Earl Grey were still, he didn't knock on the door he just barged in.

"Sirs…" he began, _breathless_, "Ciel's hurt himself." He paused again, _to catch his breath_ "I think he fell down the stairs." Claude gasped slightly, well he was worried. He ran out of his office, followed by Earl Grey, to where Ciel was. He knelt down next to Ciel, checking his vitals, before gently slapping his cheeks.

"Ciel…" Claude called, slapping his cheeks some more, "Ciel, can you hear me." Ciel mumbled out some inaudible response to that, stirring just a little. Claude sighed a little in relief, "Ciel where do you hurt?"

"My eye" Ciel replied weakly, "And my ribs." Claude nodded.

"No pain in your back or neck at all?" Earl Grey asked.

"N-no" Ciel replied.

"Okay" He replied, looking at Claude, "Let's get him somewhere comfortable, then we should call an ambulance."

"No. no ambulance, no hospital." Ciel replied quickly. "I'm fine."

Claude sighed, he held up two fingers, "How many fingers am I holding up." Ciel looked blankly at him, he couldn't see how many fingers, well not clearly anyway.

Earl Grey pinched the bridge of his nose. "He needs medical attention, only a paramedic or a doctor could do that." Claude nodded in response.

"But he doesn't like hospitals." Earl Grey seemed a little annoyed at that,

"So how does he get medical attention?" Claude just shrugged in answer to that.

"I want Sebastian" Ciel mumbled out.

"Okay, we'll call him in." Claude said, before picking Ciel up and carrying him back to his office, Earl Grey followed behind, despite this being the first time that he has really met Ciel, he was worried. He didn't want anything bad to happen to Ciel.

Claude set Ciel down on the sofa that was in the room, before getting a wet cloth and wiping some of the blood away from his face.

"Now. Lay still whilst I go and call Sebastian." Claude said before going to make the call.

Earl Grey sat next to Ciel, "So what exactly happened." He asked quietly.

"I… I tripped and fell." Ciel replied, "I just lost my…." He had to take a deep breath which pained him from where his rib was pushing against his lung. "I just lost my footing that's all. And I fell." He couldn't say that it was Ash. No that would just land him in more trouble.

"Okay." Earl Grey replied, not totally convinced that Ciel was telling the truth.

Claude came back a few minutes later. "Sebastian's on his way okay, and he's bringing a doctor with him."

Ciel nodded in response then took the cloth and used it to cover up his eye, even though he didn't know what was wrong with it, he certainly wasn't going to let anyone see what was. At least he wasn't if Sebastian wasn't there.

About half an hour later, Sebastian turned up to the university with Ann, taking her to where he had been informed Ciel was. As soon as he walked into Claude's office he went straight over to Ciel, and hugged him tight.

"Ciel, what happened?" Sebastian asked worried, holding him close against him, once again he had failed to protect Ciel. Well in his mind anyway.

"I… I tripped and fell down the stairs" Ciel said quietly. Sebastian pushed the boy away from him a little looking into his eyes, well eye. He knew Ciel wasn't telling the truth, after everything that's happened, he knew that Ciel wasn't saying because he didn't want Claude, and others to know.

"Idiot." Sebastian teased a little with a small sigh, he just had to keep up with the charade that Ciel was leading everyone on. He kissed Ciel's cheek before stepping back and letting Ann tend to Ciel.

Ann carefully examined Ciel, noting where his injuries were. "Broken rib, some cuts and bruises." She said to those in the room, before gently pressing her hand against Ciel's ribcage, moving the broken rib into a better position before bandaging it up in order to aid healing. "Those will heal in time, give it a month or so and his rib will be fine."

"A month" Ciel whispered quietly, not liking the sound of that.

"Don't worry, it won't hinder your daily life, just no sports." She said. Ciel managed a weak chuckle.

"I don't play sports so that's alright." Ann smiled a little at that.

"Now Ciel, can I look at your eye"

Ciel's other, unharmed, eye widened slightly. "B-but…"

"I need to look at it." She said sternly. Ciel sighed a little it was obvious that it was making him uncomfortable.

Ann looked over at Sebastian, wondering if he could help.

Sebastian walked over to Ciel, sitting him up and shifting him so that he could sit down on the sofa, once he had done that he moved Ciel so that he was sat on his lap, placing a soft kiss on his cheek, and taking his hand in order to keep him calm.

Only once Sebastian had done that did Ciel let Ann move the cloth from where he had put it, allowing her to see the blooded eye. "This might hurt." She said softly to Ciel as she gently brushed her thumb over it. "Ciel I need you to open your eye, or at least try to." The boy sighed a little before he tried to open his eye, he managed to do so a little, but the swelling that was forming meant that he wasn't able to open his eye fully.

Ann took out a special torch* and shone it into Ciel's eye for a brief moment before going and gently prying open Ciel's swollen eye more. What she saw made her gasp slightly. Where once Ciel's beautiful blue iris would have been found, a purple colour remained, not that the purple was hideous, in fact it was a gorgeous purple, a purple that suited Ciel well.

Sebastian and the others looked at Ann wondering what had made her gasp, naturally it had Ciel worried. "His iris has ruptured." She said softly, amazed really by the colour of the eye. "And blood has seemed to have mixed into it, causing it to turn to a purple colour. A very gorgeous purple I must admit."

Ciel turned his head to Sebastian, naturally he had no idea what his eye looked like, in fact, hearing that had made him become slightly self-loathing about himself. He let out a small, slightly depressed sigh. A tell-tale sign of the thought that was seeping into his mind.

Sebastian kissed his cheek, "remember, no matter what happens, I'll still love you." Sebastian whispered into his ear, and Ciel leaned on him a little, moving to hug him. That's what he needed at present. A hug.

Ann chose this time to leave the pair, she didn't like to stay around patients too long, especially if they were with their loved ones. Claude thanked her for coming to tend to Ciel and took her back out to her car.

Once Ann was out of the room, Ciel looked up at Sebastian. "I have something to tell you" he said quietly.

"What's that?" Sebastian asked kissing Ciel's forehead.

"I'm a Lord."

* * *

**Author's notes**

***I refer to the teachers by their first names, as that is a practice at my university.**

***Because I don't know the correct name for it.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors notes: **

**Thanks for keeping with the story. And I apologise for not updating it as quick as I would have liked.**

* * *

Chapter 5

"A Lord?" Sebastian parroted, even he, who knew a lot about Ciel, never knew that. Ciel nodded in response.

"Apparently I wasn't to find out until my 20th birthday." Ciel replied, "Well that's what my parents decided, I think they wanted me to have a normal life."

"And I wouldn't blame them for doing that." Sebastian said kissing Ciel's cheek.

"By the way this is Earl Grey. He's who I was speaking to when I disappeared into the bathroom." He paused a second. "I just wanted to confirm it before I told you. Because… well… you know." He hoped that he didn't have to explain that he thought that it might have been a set-up from Trancy and Cole.

Sebastian nodded, knowing what he wanted to say, also knowing that Ciel didn't want Earl Grey or Claude to know what was happening. "Pleasure to meet you." Sebastian said to Earl Grey, with a slight bow to the head.

Earl Grey smiled a little, "Nice to see that he's got someone kind caring for him" he said.

"Well he can be a pain to handle" Sebastian joked lightly ruffling Ciel's hair, causing the boy to blush and somewhat hide.

"I bet" Earl Grey replied, in truth Earl Grey wasn't as naïve as he made out about the situation Ciel was in, he knew he was suffering. But whether he was going to help Ciel was up to the boy himself, Earl Grey would only help Ciel id he wanted it. He didn't want to offend Ciel by offering him help, after all it was Ciel's life.

"Well…" Sebastian began a little awkward, "I think I'll get him home. He'll be safe there."

"Alright." Earl Grey replied, "But remember if you need help. Any at all, please don't hesitate to call me." He paused for a moment. "I really would hate to see anything bad happen to Ciel." Sebastian nodded and escorted Earl Grey out of the room and down to the parking lot.

He paused before going to get into his car and looked at Sebastian. "I hope you know that by helping Ciel hide what's happening to him isn't going to help him." He said, "I'm not trying to interfere, I'm just concerned. At least take the boy to the hospital to get the injuries tended to. I know you brought a doctor with you, but just to be safe I think he should get it seen to, especially his eye."

"Alright." Sebastian said, agreeing with him, "I'll take him to the hospital." Okay so on the hospital part, "but I have been with Ciel through the ups and downs. I think he'll confront it when he's ready. And until then I, as his boyfriend, will support him as best as I can."

"If that's what you chose, then so be it. But like I said please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm willing to help. And just to let you know. Things are looking up in the search for his parents. I didn't want to say anything in front of him, you know, get his spirits up only to have them crushed if it does take a turn for the worse."

"Okay." Sebastian said quietly. "And thank-you." He added on softly.

Once he had safely seen Earl Grey into his car and watched him drive away from the campus, he returned to Ciel. Ciel had taken to lying down on the sofa in the room. Finding that the temporary blindness that was part 'n' parcel with the eye injury, was a little hard to get used to. Well as long as it was temporary he would be fine, he just hoped that there was no drastic damage to his eye that was permanent. No he didn't need that as a weapon for the others to use against him in their vendetta.

Sebastian glanced around the room, seeing that Claude wasn't there. He sighed as he sat next to Ceil. "I told you that I should have come with you." He chided the boy. "And now you're in this situation."

Ciel sighed, slightly irked with that. "If all you're going to do is moan at me because of this. Don't. I can't deal with it at the moment." Sebastian rolled his eyes at the boy.

"Look… I didn't mean it that way. You know. I just mean it being concerned. You do realise I'm not letting you go anywhere on your own now."

Ciel managed a weak laugh at that. "Over protective as per usual." He said with a small smile. In all honesty he liked the over protectiveness that Sebastian showed. It just proved to him how much Sebastian did love him. Just how much he cared.

"Yes, and I hope you know that it'll never change." Sebastian added. Ciel just smiled. "Ready to go home." He asked Ciel, after all Sebastian doubted that he wanted to stay at the university.

"Yeah," Ciel replied sitting up slowly so he didn't disorientate himself or get dizzy. Sebastian smiled and held out his hand for the boy, which Ciel happily took, using that to help himself stand up. Ciel was slightly uneasy on his feet but with every second he was standing his strength was coming back.

Sebastian led Ciel out of the building and into the car park, intending to get into their car. But something made them stop in their tracks, or rather some people. Ash and Alois were stood in the car park they glared haltingly at Sebastian and Ciel, well mainly Ciel. Sebastian sighed a little, choosing to avoid confrontation he ushered Ciel over to the car holding the door open for him.

"Oi." Alois shouted at them, "don't just brush us off like that." Sebastian didn't listen, he shut the door to the passenger's side of the car then went and got in the driver's side. Alois seemed to be annoyed by this.

"Hey I'm talking to you." He screamed at Sebastian, though Sebastian still took no notice.

"Right." Sebastian said to Ciel leaning over and kissing his cheek, Ciel had sort of curled up in the chair, wanting to hug himself close. It was rare for Alois to come to an _attack_, no he usually sat by and watched Ash and the rest of them do the dirty work, it must mean that things were getting worse. "I'm going to take you to the hospital." Sebastian continued. Ciel turned his head to his boyfriend.

"N-no I don't want to go to the hospital. Too many questions." Ciel replied.

"Just tell them what you told Claude, you fell down the stairs." Sebastian replied, "Which, minus someone pushing you, was what happened."

Ciel sighed a little and curled up on himself more. "Come on, it's just to get those injuries tended to, I don't want anything to happen to you."

"O-okay." Ciel replied quietly, just to stop Sebastian mentioning it. Sebastian smiled and kissed his cheek again, before driving out of the car park.

Alois and Ash still stood there, "How dare he just drive off like that," Alois said with a slight growl. "I will not have him ignore me."

Ash sighed a little. "Have you thought that the approach were using is a little, dead."

"How could it be a little dead?" Alois replied. "We are causing him pain. I was hoping for the brat to suicide. But I guess that this is more fun, watching him suffer as such."

"Yes but surely another approach would be better, I mean since he manages to still get back up and keep going." Ash said.

"And you expect me to come up with a plan in a matter of minutes." Alois replied.

"No." Ash mumbled. "But maybe you could speak to _him_ and get a new plan together."

"Why would I like to speak to him" Alois asked. "He always wants something in return."

"It's a law of business that you can't get anything without giving something in return." Ash said, "Why don't you go ask him, he might make you a good deal. Anyway, don't you work for him?"

"Even if I do. He's not exactly going to listen to someone lower in the food chain."

"But…" Ash began. , "this is Grell were talking about. You convince him that he'll be able to get a certain someone he'll be willing to help you."

"So, I convince Grell to help and in return he gets Sebastian." Alois mused.

"Yeah, sound like a good idea."

"Hmm," Alois mused slightly, something was ticking over in his brain, "but what if Grell never gets something in return." He said, looking at Ash. "Would he try anything against us?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Though I would sway more towards the maybe not, after all you know his reputation, he's gotten in enough trouble with the police, I doubt coming after us if we don't give him what he wants is going to do us much harm, after all if he did all we'd have to do is say that it was his idea in hurting Phantomhive. Who they going to believe? A criminal like him, or two university students like us?"

"You have a point." Alois said with a sigh. "I will go speak to him. But you're coming with me. I want you there too." Okay so maybe Alois was a little scared, scared of getting hurt himself, oh if Alois was causing someone harm then he was happy, if someone hurt him, well that was a different story and he would go crying to the cops. That was just the kind of person Alois truly was.

"Anyway." Ash said, "I think we should get going, if we're going to Grell's then we should get it over and done with now."

"Fine" Alois said with a little sigh, walking towards the university gates. "By the way. What you said, about Ciel being an Earl, was that true?" Well Alois could always use it to his advantage in the grand scheme of his.

"Yes that was the truth." Ash replied, "It came out of the stuck up brats mouth." He added, "why, got an idea?"

"I might do…" Alois said ambiguously. He didn't want anyone to know just yet, just what his idea was, nope that had to be a surprise. "But then if I was to tell you then that would spoil all the fun wouldn't it."

"I guess" Ash said, seemingly unsure, "But then there is a fine line between fun and going too far."

"Yes but that doesn't matter." He snapped back a little. "Getting cold feet are we?" he added with a smirk, his eyes narrowing just a little.

"No… but there's a huge difference between ruffing up the boy and making him do what we want, and practically beating him to death."

"Who said I was going to beat him to death?" Alois asked. "Where in hell did you get that poppycock from?"

"Lau suggested it." Ash said, "He was getting defensive over it, when you first got the obsession with wanting Ciel and Sebastian, saying that you would go to whatever lengths to get them, even if it meant almost, or even beating the lives out of them, that he didn't want part of it. He wasn't going to hold some of the blame when judgement comes for us." He said with a sigh, "I don't think I quite know where that boy is in the head sometimes."

Alois giggled a little, "That's why he's with us. Because he's not one hundred percent there in the mind. He's easy to manipulate. All you have to do is make sure the right words are in his head, keep him drugged up on opium and well subsidised and he'll follow us around like a love sick puppy or a lost sheep, or however you wish to put it."

Ash shrugged, "maybe" he replied, "but he does have some good ideas." Alois merely nodded in response.

"Well I guess I'll go and speak to Grell." Alois said waving a hand dismissively at Ash, Ash simply nodded, he didn't have anything else to say on the topic, and he didn't have anything else that he wanted to say either.

* * *

It was 'late' when Alois finally reached where Grell lived. Okay so not overly late, more like 7pm or around that time, but Alois wasn't really paying much attention to the time, he just needed Grell's help, that's all, nothing more, nothing less.

He stopped momentarily at the door, composing himself slightly as he knocked on the door and waited patiently, well as patient as Alois could handle. It seemed to drag like hell, was Grell even in? If he wasn't then well Alois was certainly going to be pissed. A wasted journey.

After waiting for about half 'n' hour or so Alois' patience had ran out and he turned to leave the residence, a slight anger building around him, it had just been a time waste. As he turned the front door opened, the red-head stood at the door, he eyed Alois over.

"What do you want?" he asked curiously. "It's not like your lot to come over here." Alois shifted slightly. So his group of friends had a reputation did they? Well that didn't really matter. They had their eyes on a goal and they were certainly going to get what they wanted.

He looked up at the senior, clearing his throat. "I was wondering if you could help me." Alois asked.

"Help…" Grell mused, "With what?" after all if Grell was going to help then it had to be worth his while.

"Do you know a boy called Phantomhive." The blond asked, it would be good if Grell actually knew who he was going to be dealing with.

"That boy whose parents are missing?" Grell said with a raised eyebrow. Alois nodded in response. "Yeah I know who he is." He added, "What's your tiff with him?"

"Well, let's just say he's becoming a pain. And nothing I seem to do makes him suffer outwardly. Well thanks to that bloody boyfriend of his."

Grell chuckled a little. "He's still with Michaelis. I thought that relationship would have derailed by now."

"Whys that?" Alois questioned, "They're pretty loved up to be fair."

"So you don't know who dated Michaelis before he found Ciel?" Grell said with a chuckle. "I must admit he didn't chose well, after all little Phantomhive is a skinny brat, he can't be any good in bed."

Alois looked at Grell. "You used to date Sebastian."

"Yeah, it was when we were in like secondary school, he was in the year below. But he decided to break it off when I came to university, he said that the relationship couldn't work out, too much distance."

"I see, but he's here now, have you ever thought about getting back together."

"Thought about it, yes." Grell said, "But it's clear he's amused with his little pet at the moment and that's not likely to change any time soon."

Alois simply shrugged, "what if I said I had an idea so you and Sebastian could possibly hook up again." He began, "I can't promise that he will, but it's worth a shot right?"

"And what would this idea be exactly?" the red-head asked curious.

"Well it involves 'kidnapping' and handing him over to us. Then as a result you can have Sebastian."

"And how do you intend to go about it?" Grell asked, he was sold at the point where Alois had said that he'd get Sebastian.

"Well that's why I've come to see you." Alois said, "I was wondering if you had any ideas as to how we can kidnap Ciel."

"Hmmmmmmm," Grell hummed slightly, starting to muse on the idea. "I'll have a think. Why don't you come in?" Alois nodded and stepped into Grell's home, looking around curiously at what it was like as he followed Grell into the living room. Grell's house was practically painted red, it was his favourite colour after all, but it didn't look over the top. There were different shades of red in each room all complementing each other well. Alois was mildly impressed. After all his flat was simply a mess, and his usual home wasn't any better.

Grell plonked himself down motioning for Alois to sit down too, which the blond did. "So ways to get Ciel Phantomhive." Grell began, "but first what's your real motivation for wanting him?"

"Oh. I, I just want to cause him pain, he's always so happy, and well he turned me down for Sebastian and I want to make him pay. I also want to make Sebastian suffer as a result." Grell nodded.

"I see. So I guess then I could play the one who comes to comfort him in his time of need, and at the same time make him take me back."

"If that's what you wish to do to Sebastian then that's what you chose, but getting Ciel away from him, that might be more troublesome." Alois said, "After all Sebastian is very over protective of him."

"Okay. So where are they now?" Grell asked.

"Well they'd either be at home or Sebastian might have taken Ciel to A&E, since, well I had someone attack the brat and he fell down the stars in the process."

"Hmmmmm, well it takes a while at A&E and I'm guessing since he fell down some stairs they'll want to do a thorough examination to see what other injuries he may have." Grell mused, "I could take you to A&E and help you kidnap him in that setting. I'll make sure Sebastian's attention is diverted and then you and whomever you wish to assist you can take Ciel away."

"But you don't have a medical degree how can you even pull off something like that."

"Alois, my friend, I am a master of disguise." Grell replied with a small smirk. "It'll be easy. Doctors are usually changing shift around now so it provides a perfect opportunity for you to grab Ciel."

"Sounds good. I'll have someone meet us there with a car for a quick getaway on our behalf, what about you?"

"Well I'll drive us down there." Grell said with a roll of his eyes, he stood up and walked out of the room to grab a couple of things. Alois stood and went to the front door and waited for Grell, as he did that he sent a text to Cole, to get him to meet them at A&E.

Alois couldn't believe this, two years. Nearly two years he has been wanting this to happen, and it was now a few moments away from occurring. Something seemed to be working in his favour for once. He was finally going to get his hands on Ciel Phantomhive. The boy was going to be his. The blond started to feel feint with happiness, oh all the things he could do to him, all the _fun_ the pair were going to have, okay so maybe not Ciel, but Alois was certainly going to have fun.

Grell came to the front door a few minutes later a doctor's uniform in one hand, and a needle containing a clear liquid in the other. Alois looked at the needed intrigued. "I don't think you want Phantomhive to put up a struggle now do you. That would just draw attention to you."

"That's good thinking." Alois replied, "My associates Cole and Knox said they'd meet us there." Grell nodded and ushered Alois out of the house and into his car before driving him to the hospital.

* * *

At the hospital Ciel was being seen to by the triage* nurse. "We'll have to send him for an x-ray and a MRI scan to see if there is any other damage." She said as she gave Ciel a dose of painkillers. "A doctor will come and tend to that in a bit, there is a bit of a waiting queue." Sebastian nodded at the nurse.

"Thank-you" he said, but the nurse just waved it away, going to the next patient on her list. Sebastian sat next to Ciel, who was becoming slightly drowsy from the painkillers, he kissed his cheek. "Trust you to get hurt like this." Sebastian teased Ciel slightly.

"I, I told you that I didn't want to come to the hospital." Ciel whined a little.

Sebastian ruffled Ciel's hair a little, "I'm not taking any chances. You fell down some stairs." Ciel glared at him a little and Sebastian knew why, so he corrected what he said. "Okay so you were pushed down some stairs. Nether the less you still fell down them." Ciel just shrugged.

"So you're just being concerned and protective, wanting to see the full extent of the damage to me." Sebastian nodded at what Ciel said.

"Got it in one,"

"Well, why didn't you just say that instead of talking in riddles, it's simpler to say and it wouldn't have made me think of what you meant?"

Sebastian chuckled, "Well since you missed seminars today I was just giving you mind a little work out." Ciel rolled his eyes.

"Not funny." He said with a whine. "My head hurts enough without having the added strain of dealing with puzzled."

"Fine. I won't pester you anymore with puzzles and things." Sebastian said kissing Ciel's nose. He sneezed as a result, earning a giggle from Sebastian. Ciel pouted then pulled the covers over him so Sebastian couldn't do anything else. However Sebastian just laughed at that. Well at least he was making the boredom disappear for Ciel.

Sometime later, a 'doctor' and a couple of porters came to where Ciel and Sebastian were. "We're going to take him have his x-rays and tests done." The 'doctor' spoke. Okay so this wasn't a doctor, this was Grell in disguise. And the disguise was working, Sebastian hadn't noticed that it was Grell. The porters were just general porters who worked in the hospital, for now.

Sebastian nodded, and stood up, letting the porters take the now sleeping Ciel to where he needed to go. "Can I go with him?" Sebastian asked.

"We would prefer you to wait in the waiting room, we'll call you when he's out." Grell said,

"Alright" Sebastian replied quietly, knowing that the 'doctor' was the most experienced in this matter. He watched Ciel go, despite there being this horrible sinking feeling in his stomach and heart.

* * *

**Author's notes**

***when I refer to triage, I reference the UK style system, where a nurse is seen to ascertain just exactly what is wrong and to direct the lesser cases to a doctors or the out of hours clinic, or even just sending them home with directions to take painkillers. – I don't know what the systems are like in other countries so I thought I should just clarify that.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Warnings:**

**Foul language used throughout.**

**Violence involved**

Sebastian paced about as he waited for Ciel to come back, well he assumed Ciel was coming back, after all he was in a hospital so there wasn't many places where he could be hiding right? Sebastian waited and waited, unaware of what was happening to his boyfriend.

Grell wheeled the sleeping Ciel into the x-ray room, but from there on out he didn't do anything medical, other than inject something into the boy. It was a sedative, and a strong one at that, he wanted to ensure that there was no way Ciel could struggle against him, or the others for that matter. He didn't need Ciel struggling, especially since they had yet to get out of the hospital. Grell watched the sedative take effect on Ciel. Ciel's limbs going limp and his breathing becoming slower, Ciel seemed to be in a state of calm.

"Alois." Grell called out into the room, hoping that the bloody brat was there, after all he needed his compensation in respect of getting Ciel and 'kidnapping' him in a sense. There was a long pause of silence, it somewhat scared Grell a little, after all he didn't need to get caught. "Alois." Grell called a little louder, but he still got no response from that.

"ALOIS TRANCY IF YOU DO NOT ANSWER ME NOW I WILL TAKE CIEL BACK TO SEBASTIAN!" Grell shouted in the room, hoping that no one outside the room heard him, and that Alois had heard that. Grell was certainly the impatient type.

"Calm down." Alois said crawling out from under a table. "I heard you the first time." He snapped back a little.

"Well I haven't got the time to be standing around and waiting for you. I have my own agenda you know." Grell responded with a growl. He really didn't need this.

"And you won't take the brat back to Sebastian." Alois said with a smirk.

"And why's that." Grell asked, slightly curious.

"Because you won't live to see the outside world if you make a move to do that." The blond replied.

"Making death threats are we?" Grell said, "They don't affect me."

"Whether you pay attention or not isn't my concern really." Alois said pulling out a gun and aiming it at Grell. "But if you ever want a love life with Michaelis you better do as I say, or I'll castrate you on the spot."

Grell seemed to whimper and step back as Alois said that. "Alright, just don't do anything rash now. I'll help you as far as you disappearing with Ciel. And that's it. I won't say a word to anyone."

"Good you know that" Alois replied. "Now, get the bastard out of the hospital and into the trunk of the car, I want a quick getaway."

Grell rolled his eyes slightly at Alois, not that the blond took offence to that, he was too busy trying to keep an eye on the situation so that they weren't seen and that Grell didn't cock up. Oh yes, Alois was slightly paranoid, paranoid, nervous and worried. In reality Alois was a wimp. He never laid a finger on Ciel in the way of the _torture_ he made Cole, Ash and the others put Ciel through, even though Alois was the ringleader, the one calling the shots. He was spoilt and didn't want to get his hands dirty with the preliminary _fun_.

The blond carefully watched the red-head as he chose to slightly redress Ciel in order to make their kidnapping of him, less like a kidnapping, Grell's idea was that he was just going to walk out of the hospital with Ciel in his arms and deposit him in the getaway car.

"What are you doing" Alois said with a slightly melodramatic sigh.

"Shut up" Grell hissed. "I'm trying to help you get Ciel out of here without being noticed alright." Alois growled a little in response to that, to put it fairly he didn't like being talked down upon, nope, he certainly was a domineering bastard who always got his way.

Grell finished dressing Ciel and picked him up bridal style to carry him out of the x-ray room. Alois raised an eyebrow at Grell, who shot a 'don't even bother asking'look in return.

"So where's the car?" Grell asked, not aware of where Alois had made Ash and Cole park the car for their getaway.

"Parking lot a street over" Alois replied, "I thought it would be best, you know, away from the hospital grounds, but not too close." Grell nodded in response.

"But still inconvenient as to the fact I have to carry him further."

"You're getting paid to do this so just do as I say, remember I don't think you will be wanting to lose your manhood just yet right." Alois reminded. Grell simply sighed and started walking out of the room.

"Just don't make it obvious that were trying to sneak out." Grell said, Alois chuckled quietly,

"Well you do stick out like a sore thumb."

Grell didn't respond to that, he chose to calmly continue walking along, just wanting to get it over and done with, whilst he would welcome the day that Ciel and Sebastian split up, in all fairness he didn't want it to be done forcefully.

A bit late though, for Grell's conscience to show its head. He was already knee deep in the mess Alois was causing, and it was obvious that Alois wouldn't let Grell free from their little contract until he had finished his part.

Grell sighed as he walked through the corridor and out of the hospital and into the cool breeze, not that it was keeping him cool, Grell's heart was pounding and it only seemed to get worse and worse with every step that he took. He had jumped straight into this, willing to do it for the chance to get back with Sebastian, but that was an adrenaline fuelled thought, now Grell had actually seen Alois's true colours, and he was regretting that decision.

He and Sebastian had had their time, they had had their chance at a relationship and it worked to begin with but they had split up, they went their separate ways, he couldn't expect Sebastian to remain single so they could possibly work it out again, and Sebastian couldn't have expected the same from Grell.

Both of them had moved on and both of them had a better life because of it. And now Grell was helping to destroy the life of the man that he had once loved.

As soon as he was out of the hospital car parks, Grell quickly walked over to the car where Cole and Ash were waiting.

"Open the door." He said quietly. Cole raised an eyebrow. "Look" Grell said in response "If you shove him in the boot of the car now you'll raise suspicions." Ash understood Grell's reasoning, going and opening the door to the car so Grell could sit Ciel in the car. Alois came up to them a few moments after that.

"Ash, you ride in the back with Grell and the brat. Cole, you can ride shotgun."

Grell looked at Alois, "I'm not going, this is where my co-operation ends."

"I'm sorry to say that you can't leave juuuuust yet." Alois replied, "You see, you know how much sedative you gave the brat, you know how long it'll last. Plus by far you're the strongest out of us and therefore we will use you to tie the brat up. Just so he's easier to transport to another location."

Grell sighed, "And you expect me to tie the brat up here."

"Oh no" Alois replied with a smirk, "We're not doing that here, were going to another location, another location, another car." Grell sighed, he was about to turn and leave, but he saw Alois's hand stray to where his gun was. "Now do as I say, and I won't shoot you." Alois added.

Grell knew there was no way out, he slid into the car gently shifting Ciel so that the sedated boy was in the middle seat, though Ciel somewhat ended up leaning on Grell, the others climbed into the car and Alois started the engine.

Grell didn't mind Ciel leaning on him, it made it look less obvious that he was sedated, to most passer-by's Ciel was sleeping. Alois drove off, mentally planning the route that he was going to take. A more direct route, or through the back roads, so it would be less obvious. It didn't take him long to be fair, the back roads where he knew there would be no traffic and he could break the speed limits without being caught by the police.

"Where's Lau meeting us then?" Cole asked, after all Alois never gave anyone the full plan, just snippets.

"He's meeting us at a forest not far from here, he's got another vehicle and supplies with him" Alois replied darkly.

"Why all the confusion setting?" Cole asked.

"Well as soon as Michaelis knows that we have his precious boyfriend here, he'll go to the cops." Alois said.

"And then all those who know that Ciel's a Lord will join in the help." Ash added.

"He's a Lord?" Grell questioned quietly. Ash looked at him,

"Yeah, he wasn't to know until he was 21 but giving the situation with his parents he was told now." Grell simply nodded in response.

Alois on the other hand let out a small cackle, "that couldn't have come at a better timing" he smirked, "after all, if the brats a lord there are certain rules that should be kept to. Such as not having a homosexual relationship."

Grell giggled a little at that. "And don't you think that Ciel's parents would have warned him of such when they first found out he was dating Sebastian."

"SHUT UP!" Alois sneered, "No one asked your opinion. Grell shut-up as asked but the cogs and springs in his brain continued to try and piece together the picture.

"Forgive me for asking. Since after all I am in this until the end, but could you tell me what you want out of this."

Alois looked at Grell out of the rear-view mirror. "Well if you really want to know, one of the reasons is money. We will demand an extortionate ransom. The other reason is personal and none of your concern."

"Okay, but how do you intend to get the money, it's not like Sebastian's father is minted."

"Oh, I didn't say it was Sebastian the ransom demand would be aimed at, there's two very rich people who would do anything for the safe return of their little boy."

"But his parents are missing" Grell reiterated.

"In the eyes of the rest of the world yes they are missing." Alois began, "But in fact they're not missing. I know exactly where they are."

"And where would that be?" Grell asked, god Alois had to be stupid to just give him all this information, but then again Grell was 'on their side' in their eyes.

"In a town not too far from here." Alois replied with a chuckle. "An associate, an Italian mafia member is keeping them kidnapped."

"And that town would be" Grell asked curiously.

"Banbury*" Alois said simply. Grell merely nodded filing that information away.

Grell had gotten a bit too wrapped up in his conversation with Alois, he had seemed to have forgotten the world around him, he failed to notice that the pleasant rolling hills of the countryside highlighted by the days sunset had been replaced with a purple-black, starless night sky. And the simple countryside was now an ever growing scene of trees, making the night look a dozen times scarier than it was.

Alois had driven the car into a forest along the route, this was where Lau was meeting them with another car, and some things. Alois shut off the car engine, letting the vehicle come to a shuddering silence, flashing the headlights as a signal to Lau that it was them. The blond opened the car window as Lau walked over to the driver's side door.

"Got him?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, and Grell's going to be the one to tie him up." Lau merely nodded at what Alois had just replied.

_So… he was just their scape goat._ It was fitting though, Grell wasn't really best buds with anyone, and with his past with Sebastian it could easily be suggested that he was the one who took Ciel, just so he could get Sebastian back. What pathetic sods Alois and co were... Lau came to the door where Grell was sat opening it and allowing Grell to get out.

Grell climbed out of the car, before dragging a still sedated Ciel out after him and laying him on the wet ground, on top of the previous downfall of snow it was raining.

Lau didn't say anything to Grell merely passing him some cable ties and things of the like. "Tie Phantomhive up, gag him and blindfold him" Alois ordered the redhead. Grell sighed before rolling Ciel onto his side and bringing his arms behind his back, he put several of the cable ties around Ciel's wrists and tightened them. Though he didn't make them overly tight, unfortunately Alois noticed this. "Tie them tight. I want them to dig into the bastard's skin." Grell seemed to tense slightly as Alois ordered that, but he did as Alois said, pulling the cable ties tighter so they did indeed bite into Ciel's skin, thankfully Ciel wouldn't feel any pain from it at present, but Grell would hate to think of the pain that the boy would be in when he came around.

"Now the legs. Come on, chop, chop. I haven't got all day." Alois replied. Grell merely rolled his eyes before binding Ciel at the ankles, pulling the cable ties tight, as he had done with his arms. He then, mainly so he didn't get moaned at by Alois, gagged Ciel and blindfolded him before looking up at Alois.

"There you go, your highness" he said with sarcasm in his voice. Alois didn't appear fazed by it but he did go and backhand Grell roughly.

"Remember who you're talking to." Alois warned a little. Grell sighed and stood up picking Ciel up too.

"So where..." Grell began before Alois pointed over to a car with the boot* open,

"Chuck him in there." Alois ordered with a smirk. Grell walked over to the car and put Ciel in the boot.

"I'm sorry Ciel." Grell whispered as he slammed the boot door shut. Grell then turned and walked back to Alois. "Done. Now may I go?"

"Certainly." Alois replied, "Ash can walk you to the nearest bus stop." Grell nodded in response glancing at the car that they had come to this location in, Lau and Cole were pouring petrol over it, getting ready to set it alight.

Ash came over to Alois who whispered something in his ear before grabbing Grell's wrist and walking him to the roadside. "There's a bus stop about half a mile that way." Ash said pointing to his right, "it's just before a little village." Grell nodded thanks and started walking in that direction. Though for Grell his troubles were just beginning. Ash, following Alois's orders, pulled a small revolver out of his pocket. "Just tying up some loose ends" he mumbled as he aimed it at Grell and pulled the trigger.

The bullet, thankfully, hit Grell in the shoulder, whilst it didn't cause him much injury, it still hurt like hell, sending Grell to his knees from the pain. _Fuck,_ he thought _I should have realised that something like this would happen._ He glanced back to see if Ash had gone, thankfully he had gone back to Alois and the others. Grell whimpered ever so slightly, forcing himself to stand. He had to get to the village. That was the only way for him to get help. He needed to tell Sebastian what was happening, to hell with the fact that he had just helped Alois kidnap Ciel, he needed to help, he needed to do the right thing, and the right thing was telling Sebastian what had happened.

Suddenly an explosion rang out, a bright light followed by the red and yellow flickering flames as the car that Cole and Lau had doused with petrol went up in smoke. A car could be heard speeding away, _that would be Alois and the others going to another location_ Grell mused to himself,_ I guess I could wait here, someone will call the fire brigade to deal with that…_ well it saved him having to walk into the village, now all he had to do was wait.

Meanwhile at the hospital, Sebastian was still waiting, waiting for Ciel to come back from his 'tests'. He had no idea that Ciel was no longer in the hospital.

After a few hours, roughly the amount of time that it took Alois and co to get to their current stage of their plan, a doctor approached Sebastian. "Have you seen the patient?" he asked. Sebastian looked at the doctor with narrowed eyes,

"You're telling me you've lost him, you came to take him over two hours ago to have tests done." The doctor looked back at Sebastian,

"We were waiting for a slot to open up so we could perform the tests" he replied, "We haven't sent any doctor to deal with him." A low growl left Sebastian's throat, though that was quickly replaced with worry.

"So Ciel is missing" Sebastian said, "at a hospital where he was supposed to be under your care." The doctor sighed,

"He can't have gotten far, he was under light sedation that should have kept him either asleep or barely awake." This wasn't helping Sebastian.

"Well go and find him." Sebastian said, pausing after every word to get his point across. "Because if you don't it'll be your job." The doctor sighed and went looking for Ciel, whilst Sebastian paced around the side ward he was waiting on.

Another hour passed by and there was still no sign of Ciel. The doctor had gotten the whole hospital looking for him, and Sebastian was getting more and more pissed as the time went by. _How dare they just lose track of Ciel. How dare they lose him full stop. The stupid incompetent shits. _These thoughts swirled through Sebastian's head as he slumped into a chair. He knew Ciel didn't like hospitals, but he wasn't that stupid as to leave the hospital once he was here, and anyway Ciel had promised him that he would get a check-up at least.

Though something, or rather someone came into the hospital that would shed some light on the situation, Grell had been brought into the hospital in order to get his busted shoulder dealt with, luckily the hospital Sebastian was in was the closest one, and what was even more of a coincidence, Grell was shown into the same side ward that Sebastian was waiting in.

Grell looked over at Sebastian before looking at one of the nurses tending to him and asking if she could call him over. The nurse nodded and went over to Sebastian.

"Excuse me, sir." The nurse said, gently shaking Sebastian's shoulder. Sebastian looked up at her, he felt like a bad boyfriend, losing his mate, in a hospital of all places.

"Yes?" Sebastian replied quietly.

"There's a patient here who would like to speak to you." She said motioning over to Grell. Sebastian looked up to where she was pointing, sighing slightly when he saw it was Grell. He stood and went over to him.

"What do you want?" he asked slightly cold.

"Well it's nice to see you again too." Grell replied then he sighed. "Look, I won't beat around the bush, I know why you're worried, and I would be to."

"Then just say it" Sebastian replied irritably.

"Alois has Ciel."

Sebastian's heart seemed to stop as he heard those words.

Authors Notes

* Banbury – yes this is actually a town in the United Kingdom (for those who didn't know.)

*boot – I have also heard it referred to as trunk, but here in the UK it is more commonly known as boot.


End file.
